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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. perch — the fish
  6. court — of a king
  7. season — of the year
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. season — in sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. court — for sport
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. court — of law
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com